1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to hand tools, and more particularly to an improved device for facilitating removal of printed circuit cards from a card rack characterized by longitudinal side rails arranged in mutually spaced parallelism and a plurality of printed circuit cards extended between the rails of the rack.
Currently, it is common practice to remove from computers printed circuit cards employing a screwdriver blade inserted beneath the lip of the uppermost rail of each of the cards with the shaft of the screwdriver being positioned to rest on the rail of an adjacent card which functions as a fulcrum as downward pressure is applied to the screwdriver handle in order to lift the card, for thus releasing the card from the card rack.
Unfortunately, this technique frequently results in the damaging of the cards, as well as electronic components, wiring, and terminals mounted on the printed circuit card. As a consequence, substantial amounts of time often are devoted to replacing or repairing damaged printed circuit cards removed from the racks of computers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the course of a preliminary search conducted for the invention herein described and claimed, the following U.S. Pat. Nos. were discovered:
3,178,214: Tinkelenberg; PA0 3,626,575: Greenspan; PA0 3,583,744: Paine; PA0 4,109,379: Ratti et al.
It is believed that the patent to Tinkelenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,214 probably constitutes the most pertinent prior art reference discovered during the course of that search. This patent discloses an extractor for removing a printed circuit card from a rack. The extractor includes a body formed of an insulating material and includes pivot points and card engaging points. Apparently, hooked ends of card engaging points are arranged to pass through suitable apertures formed in the printed circuit cards when the extractor is positioned transversely across the side walls of the rack. Upon rotation of the extractor, in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot points, a card is lifted a predetermined distance sufficient for causing disengagement of the card from frictional fit contact with the computer. It is believed that it will become apparent that the patented device differs in terms of structure from the invention herein disclosed and that the patented device clearly does not provide a totally satisfactory solution to the problem or problems encountered in removing computer printed circuit cards from their racks, particularly where the cards must be frequently and repeatedly removed by technicians and engineers on a rather routine basis.
It is, therefore, a general purpose of the instant invention to provide an improved device particularly suited for use as a hand tool in removing printed circuit cards from racks characterized by pairs of longitudinal rails having surfaces arranged in mutually spaced parallelism and a plurality of printed circuit cards extended in mutual parallelism between the rails of the rack.